On April 27, 2018, Purdue Northwest Athletics opened its Lalaeff & Fischer PNW Golf Training Center at the Fitness & Recreation Center on the Hammond campus. The 800-square foot indoor golf center features five types of synthetic turf with surfaces for putting, chipping, pitching and full swings as well as two large TV screens to utilize enhanced launch monitor technology, video analysis and Ground Reaction Force (GRF) technology.
“This is a beautiful indoor facility for our Pride men’s and women’s golf programs and will help both of our golf teams continue to grow and develop,” said Purdue Northwest Director of Athletics Rick Costello. “On behalf of the PNW Pride, we sincerely appreciate all the support and generosity that Barb and Burney Fischer have shown to help make this facility a reality.”
The Fischer family wanted to honor Mike Lalaeff as well with this facility for his dedication to youth development and his love of golf. Lalaeff was a Hammond native who won the prestigious Hammond Times District Amateur Golf Championship in 1966 and was inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
“To see the transformation of an old racquetball court on our last visit here to what it has become today is pretty spectacular,” said Burney Fischer. “Barb and I are just thrilled to make an impact for these teams and for this University. I hope they will enjoy this training facility for many years.”
On January 21, 2023, Purdue Northwest Athletics officially unveiled the brand new golf simulator for the Lalaeff & Fischer PNW Golf Training Center.
The new golf center includes two simulator screens that include several golf courses for the student-athletes to practice on virtually.
